Sen. Rivers (R-La Center) has introduced a companion (SB 5441) to Rep. Pike's bill (HB 1235) to prioritize state investments in stormwater toward helping local governments meet our permit obligations, rather than the current focus on items that are largely above and beyond permit obligations.

AWC has joined a group of organizations in the local government, business, and environmental communities in a coalition uniting to preserve the dedicated capital accounts used to fund the state’s investments in toxic cleanups, stormwater, and other activities.

Newly elected Rep. Pike (R-Camas) has come out of the gate looking to help local governments manage our stormwater responsibilities, and has already secured hearings on two bills on January 30. HB 1235would require the Department of Ecology to give the highest priority for stormwater management funding assistance to local projects or activities that are required by municipal stormwater permits.

As part of the final resolution to the stormwater permit discussions in the Legislature last session, the state began to invest in training for local governments and the private sector on how to implement low impact development (LID) standards.

The House Environment Committee met on November 30, and Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant and Water Quality Program Manager Kelly Susewind testified for over an hour on their efforts around fish consumption.

Recently, AWC staff has begun meeting with various stakeholders to begin discussions about how to move forward on our preliminary priorities of enhanced stormwater funding and a more formalized and stable stormwater funding program at the state level.